A Cubone's Quest
by hunter049
Summary: As a little Cubone mourns over his mother, a Lucario finds him and takes him to his home. There, Cubone meets Pokemon of all kinds, and finds he needs to do one last quest for his mother.


**I don't own Pokemon.**

**So my favorite Pokemon have always been a Growlithe (loyal and cute, plus who doesn't love a puppy and a fire type?) and Lucario (he's a good fighter on my team and pretty cool with auras). Recently, Cubone's been added to the list. And 3 is a magical number, so I figured I'd make this fanfic.**

**Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Cubone adjusted his skull mask. As he did so, he couldn't help but be reminded of his mother.

Being an orphan in a harsh world full of humans trying to "catch 'em all" or just capture you to sell you or worse, along with nature not being too safe either (considered he was small enough to be considered Bite-sized for most predators), wasn't easy. He envied the happy families he spied while rushing around, trying to find shelter while they were all snug, safe, and happy.

The small brown Pokemon sniffled. He remembered the night his mother was taken from him.

* * *

_Cubone, small as ever, snuggled next to his mother. Her warmth and gentle breathing never ceased to soothe him, even if the elements battled outside with crashed of thunder and the crunching of fallen trees. _

_Suddenly, his mother sat up. "Stay," she instructed. Cubone tried to sit up and follow nonetheless, but his mother lovingly tucked in him with leaves into his small soft divot in the ground. "I will return, little one. Nothing short of death will stop me from taking care of you and protecting you."  
_

_Cubone nodded, and hugged his mother, not knowing it'd be one of the last times. Marowak stood from the embrace, laid a soft kiss on her son's head, then rushed out with a bone in her hand._

_"Who goes there?" she yelled, before a snarl responded. She turned, and nearly dropped her bone in fear. A Houndoom stood in front of her, teeth bared and nostrils steaming. Ground-type she may be, but a Houndoom didn't have to cook her to eat her... or her baby.  
_

_With that in her head, her grip on the bone tightened. "Leave now, or prepare to fight."_

_The Houndoom howled, then leaned in and growled, "I'm not here to fight. Not necessarily, anyways."_

_She smashed her bone across his snout, before Houndoom snarled angrily. His Trainer came, a man dressed in black with a red "R" on his shirt. Silver boots and a belt were all that separated him from the night, except for that brilliant letter.  
_

_"Houndoom," he ordered, "if she doesn't cooperate, don't hesitate to make this easier for me."_

_The hellhound nodded, and said to the Marowak, "I suggest you go quietly. It'll be far less painful, even at the end."  
_

_She didn't like the end he implied, and shook her head. She brandished her bone as the Trainer came closer with a cage. Marowak would not lose; she couldn't, not with a little one in her nest. _

_As if the hellhound had read her thoughts, he sniffed the air. "Ah... baby Cubone. My master will be pleased." He started to go towards the hole in the tree trunk leading to their burrow, before a devastating bone strike to his stomach stopped him._

_The Houndoom growled loudly, but alerted his Trainer with a bark. "What is it, boy?" the man asked._

_Houndoom pointed a paw at Marowak, then hovered his paw above the ground. The man understood. "Cubone? Excellent. Their skulls sell nicely, and perhaps Giovanni will give me a small cut of the profit. Fetch the Cubone."  
_

_Marowak was horrified, nearly frozen by what she heard. "Sk- skulls?" she gasped._

_The Houndoom leered at her, grinning with every possible sharp tooth showing. "Skulls."_

_He bounded for the hole, and nearly snagged the leaf Cubone was tucked inside before Marowak came to her senses, smashing her bone across his snout again._

_"Seems like this one will give us trouble," the Trainer said. "Well then... Houndoom, attack!"_

_"Gladly," the canine Pokemon said to Marowak before snarling and letting loose a Flamethrower in her direction. She lunged away, before hurling her bone into his face and catching it on rebound. The hellhound slashed at her with a clawed paw, and she easily dodged..._

_Right into the Trainer's cage. The Trainer grinned. "Today is a good day for Team Rocket. One down, one to go."_

_Marowak desperately slammed her bone into the metal bars, then frantically attacked the lock as Houndoom neared her burrow. She could see her baby Cubone, inside and wondering what became of his mother, as he slowly sat up._

_Everything slowed down as her one reason to live was about to be snuffed out. Her bone gradually smashed the lock, chips of bone flying everywhere but the lock weakening. The red snout with teeth so sharp entered the hole, and snagged the leaf that her baby hung onto. _

_Houndoom lit the leaf on fire, burning away Cubone's lifeline and letting him drop to the ground, stunned. The Trainer reached for the Cubone, only to have a sharp pain in his eye as Marowak's bone slammed into it._

_"Run!" She instructed her scared young. "Run as far as you can!"_

_Cubone nodded and, with tears blinding him, ran away from the fight. _

_"Damn it!" The Trainer yelled. "So you like to interfere, huh? This will be the last time you ever do. Houndoom, don't hold back. Flamethrower, full blast."_

_Marowak refused to move, knowing that as long as he attacked her, her baby was safe. Even as the Houndoom actively charged up a searing hot flame, she only glared at him. As the light and heat neared her, she shed a single tear for her baby, doomed to wander the world without a mother._

_Cubone, now very far away and somehow alive in the dead of night, could hear his mother's screams and he ran faster, knowing if he turned back or even stopped, her sacrifice would be in vain._

_That didn't help heal the pain. That couldn't bring his mother back._

* * *

Cubone noticed the lighter fur on his chest was wet, and realized he was crying. He shut his eyes and let the pain out, high in a tree. He didn't notice the slight shift of weight on the branch, or the slight footsteps on the wood. He could only remember his loving mother's embrace, her kiss on his head, and her final actions on his behalf.

"Why the long face?"

Cubone grabbed the bone he'd picked up a while ago while on the run, and prepared to attack as his tears still blinded him.

"Woah, cool it little buddy. I'm a Lucario. Couldn't help but notice your aura's wavelength going off the charts. You alright?"

The figure in front of him gently brushed his tears away. Indeed, it was a Lucario. His red eyes watched the little brown Pokemon with worry, and Cubone still held his bone threateningly.

"Don't come any closer. I'll fight you." Cubone warned.

Lucario liked this little one's spirit. "I wouldn't recommend that. I teach Riolus to fight. I'm undefeated in my clan."

"I don't _care!_" Cubone yelled, and rushed forward, bone in paw. Lucario quickly took the bone, let his tail hold it, and grabbed the little Cubone in an embrace.

As soon as Cubone was in Lucario's arms, he broke down, tears running freely. Lucario gently rubbed the Cubone's back, mindful of the spikes on himself and on the brown Pokemon.

"Let it out... I'll take you to your mother. You must be lost."

At this, Cubone cried harder. "No... Mother..." he managed to get out between sobs.

Lucario was shocked. An orphan... "I'm sorry. Come, I'll take you to my clan. We aren't only Riolus and Lucarios after all."

The brown Pokemon nodded against Lucario's chest, and Lucario bounded from branch to branch, hurrying to his clan.

* * *

**A bit sad, perhaps. Tell me what you think. Review if you want, Grammar Nazis welcome.**


End file.
